Taylor was about to commit to Big 12 rival Baylor before a late offer from Oklahoma State forced him to reconsider. He declared for the Cowboys on Wednesday.

"(Oklahoma State co-defensive coordinator) Glenn Spencer told me that one of their defensive tackles was transferring," Taylor told Scout.com. "He told me when he heard that, I was the first person he called. He said I would get a chance to fight for that open spot."

Taylor is the No. 25-ranked defensive tackle in Scout's 2013 class and is the prize of the Cowboys' recruiting efforts so far.

The other headliner is three-star quarterback Luke Del Rio, son of NFL assistant coach Jack Del Rio, who committed to Oklahoma State on Thursday.

Del Rio moved from Florida to Colorado this winter after his father took a job with the Denver Broncos. He chose the Cowboys just days after talking to Scout about the challenges of picking up his recruiting in a new state.

GOT A QUESTION?

The Cowboys' quarterback situation is in flux after the graduation of Weeden, and Gundy has already named a true freshman -- fellow three-star Wes Lunt -- the starter in 2012, which means Del Rio will have his work cut out for him when he arrives on campus in 2013.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to compete with him once I get on campus, and do my best to learn the playbook as quickly as possible," Del Rio told GoPokes.com. "In my opinion, the best player at each position earns the starting spot, and you have to earn that starting position each and every year."

The draw to Gundy was no doubt an appealing aspect for Del Rio. Gundy himself was a quarterback at Oklahoma State from 1986 to 1989, and he recently restructured his contract to add four more years to his deal.

"I can't think of a better coaching staff in the country," Del Rio told GoPokes.com. "Coach Gundy's style and philosophy is perfect for a quarterback who likes to throw the football, and I believe it will help prepare me for the next level."

Two other three-stars were among the week's haul for Oklahoma State -- safety Jordan Sterns, who committed the same day as Taylor, and offensive tackle Zach Crabtree, who committed Tuesday.

Two-star safety Deric Robertson was the first of the week's commits, making it official on Monday.

It will be an interesting transition year for the Cowboys, who are coming off a one-loss season that saw them nearly play for the BCS title. But with the losses of Weeden and Blackmon to the NFL, there are plenty of holes to fill on the offense. Many unofficial preseason rankings have the Cowboys ranked in the middle to bottom of the top 25.

Four four-star offensive players are coming in with the 2012 class -- which should help fill the void -- and now Oklahoma State has a firm footing for 2013's crop as well, with eight recruits committed, three of them at the four-star level.

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